JR (John) Ranch
JR (John) Ranch
1940 -
Rowing
John Raymond Ranch was born in Bondi on 26 November 1940 and moved to Orange when he was four years of age. John's father Ray was the Licensee of the Tourist Hotel, recently re-named Hotel Orange.
John commenced his school days at Santa Maria Convent in Byng Street and then moved on to high school at De La Salle when it was situated in Summer Street where the Summer Centre now stands.
John had an interest in rowing during his school days in Orange from 1945 to 1958, but it wasn't till he went to Sydney University in 1959 that his opportunity to participate in the sport was available. He also joined the Bondi Surf Club where he rowed surfboats, as well as rowing still water with the University.
John had a big advantage in that he was able to row at either Bow or on the Stroke side.
John had the distinction of rowing for Australia before he had been selected for NSW. In 1965, John was chosen to represent Australia against New Zealand in a series where he rowed in the "engine room" in the Six seat.
John was coached by the renowned rowing coach Allan Calloway who miraculously survived a Kamikaze raid in the Coral Sea. Under the guidance of Calloway, John and the Australian VIII took out the Silver medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and this was not equalled until the Sydney 2000 Olympics with the Australian VIII also taking out the Silver medal.
Calloway was again at the helm of coaching when John represented Australia at the World Championships in Bled, Yugoslavia in 1966. In all, John won four representative blazers for NSW and four Australian blazers. In 1985, John represented Australia at the World Masters Games in Toronto, Canada.
On retirement, he coached at Sydney University and the Sydney Rowing Club.
In 1994, John presented his Silver medal to James Sheahan Catholic High School as a means of thanking them for the wonderful education in Orange. The medal was returned to John by the school in 2000, which thought it more appropriate that his family have possession of such a valuable award. John then presented the school with his Olympic Relay torch where it remains permanently in Orange.
